Collision
by Jed Rhodes
Summary: James T. Kirk - meet James T. Kirk.
1. Collision 1

**USS Maverick NCC-1746. Federation Starship, Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser. Prime Universe. **

--

Captain Richard Constantine, a tall, handsome man with a ginger mullet and striking blue eyes, stared at the temporal anomaly before him in interest. His science officer Jackson watched in equal interest, from his own station. Constantine was in his gold command uniform, the parallelogram mission patch of his ship on his left breast. He looked, in short, like a traditional Starfleet Captain type.

"What can you tell me?" Constantie asked.

"What can I tell you?" Jackson replied, shaking his head. "Lots. About this? Not lots."

Jackson was slightly shorter than him, with cropped black hair, big ears, big nose, and big grin, when he wanted to grin. His eyes were sharp, cold, piercing blue. He had a strange sense of humour that Constantine liked – but not right now.

"Anything you can tell me, Rob?" he asked.

"Well, it's a doorway, in laymans terms," Jackson said. "Looks like it might be a dimensional rift."

"Another dimension?" Constantine pondered.

"Or universe," Jackson motioned. "Parallel universes are quite interesting in their own right," he added. "If something comes out, it might be quite cool…"

Constantine turned to regard the anomaly.

"I hope nothing comes out," he said. "I have enough problems…"

"Captain!" his helm officer, Johan Fitzgerald, called out. "Look!"

He couldn't see it for a moment, and then, suddenly, horribly, he could…

--

It was silver, it was sleek, and it was bigger than the Maverick. It's initial design looked like someone had taken Constitution class starships – vessles primarily designed for science and exploration – made them bigger, then covered them in weapons. But the thing that stood out most was the name of the ship.

Enterprise.

--

"Contact Kirk and his ship," Constantine said.

"But sir," Willems, his comn officer said.

"Do it," Constantine said. "Then hail… that."

"No need," Willems said. "They're already hailing."

"On screen," Constantine ordered. And suddenly – there they were. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, just as Constantine – who only briefly met them at a Constitution class ship launch – remembered. Except that the bridge they were standing on was larger, more open plan, and the uniforms appeared to be slightly different.

Jim Kirk, however, was the same.

"Rich!" he said. "How you doing!"

"Jim," Constantine said, carefully. "Nice ship."

"I might say the same," Spock intervened from Kirks side. "It would appear to be a slightly smaller version of a Constitution class vessel, with less weaponry."

"I would say yours is bigger and more badass," Jackson noted. Constantine shut him up with a glare.

"Look," Jim Kirk said from next to him. "What say we have a talk face to face? This is confusing enough for us, and we sorta know what's going on. For you, I don't know what it'll be like."

Constantine smiled grimly.

"Fair does," he said. "One hour. Your ship or mine?"

"We'll visit yours," Kirk said. "I'm kinda curious about it."

"And I about yours," Constantine replied, nodding. "Mine then. One hour."

The communicator shut off.

--

"Spock, what can you tell me?" Kirk said as soon as the communication ceased.

"They're vessel is far inferior tactically to our own, Captain," the Vulcan – Half Vulcan – replied. "Also, their uniforms are different."

Dr McCoy sighed, and rolled his eyes.

"Mind telling me what the dfference in uniform actually means?"

"It means, Doctor," Spock said, "that we are in a different universe. A parallel."

"Like the universe Nero came from?" Kirk queried.

"Possibly," Spock concurred. "There is only one course of action, now."

"What?" McCoy asked.

"Go meet them," Spock stated.


	2. Collision 2

Constantine was talking to a different Kirk now, one who was three light years away on routine charting, on a different, much smaller _Enterprise_.

"You're sure?" this Kirk was saying. "You're absolutely sure?"

"It's not impossible that they're fake," Constantine replied, "but… damn, they're so much like you. Bit younger, mind," he added, looking over the more careworn eyes and face of this Kirk, his Kirk.

"Ha," Kirk smiled. "Great, I've forgotten what I was like when I was younger."

"I haven't" Constantine smiled back.

"We're on our way," Kirk said. "Who's he got with him?"

"Spock and McCoy," Constantine replied. "Good picks for this sort of thing."

"Yeah," Kirk said. "I'll bring them too. Should make for a… what is it you Brits say? A 'laugh?'"

"Something like that, yeah," Constantine smiled.

"Well then," Kirk smiled. "Should be only a matter of half an hour."

--

James T. Kirk looked around the seemingly miniscule vessel. The bridge. This was the bridge.

No way.

"It's… colourful," McCoy said from beside him. "Very… colourful."

"The colours would appear to have no functional purpose other than to… decorate," Spock added.

Kirk said nothing, afraid that he would choke on his words.

"Captain," Spock added, "I must advise you not to mention Nero or the _Narada_ attack, or my other self."

"Why the hell not?" McCoy asked. "If they can prevent the destruction of Romulus…"

"Then that will create yet another alternate future," Spock cautioned. "Or worse. We have no way of knowing the exact effects."

"I wonder what's taking Constantine so long," Kirk wondered.

"Gentlemen?" Constantine's voice came from the conference room doorway. "Welcome to the _Maverick,_" he added. He indicated the dedication plaque with his left hand, pointing at it. The plaque was one of the newer ones, with a list of the admiralty and staff who worked on her design, and a ships motto; _'Each man is a spark in the darkness. It flashes into existence, burns for a moment, then dies, to be replaced with newer and brighter sparks.'_ Jackson had picked it after they'd upgraded; said it represented his worldview perfectly. Constantine didn't really mind, and the crew took some level of amusement from their science officers weirdness.

"Nice little ship," McCoy drawled. "I bet Scotty would love to look 'er over."

"Montgomery Scott?" Constantine asked. "I bet he would. Now, I imagine you chaps have a fair few questions…"

"Starting with your emblem," Kirk said, indicating the parallelogram on Constantine's chest. Constantine looked at it, then looked back at Kirk.

"They don't have mission patches where you come from?" he asked. Spock raised an eyebrow.

"They were discarded in the twenty two thirties," he said, "and replaced by the standard arrowhead from the USS Kelvin."

"The _Kelvin?"_ Constantine asked. "Oh yeah, I remember. The ship Admiral Robau commanded, the one the _Enterprise_ assignment patch used to belong to. What made them adopt the _Kelvin_ symbol?"

"In our universe, the _Kelvin_ was destroyed," Spock said. "It was adopted to commemorate the death of the ship and her Captain."

"Oh," Constantine said. "Shame."

"Look," Kirk said, snappishly "while we're here, Scotty would kill me if I didn't get some figures down about this thing. So…"

"So you want some technical data," Constantine nodded. "Right, well, it's a _Constitution_ class heavy cruiser, crew complement four hundred and thirty…"

--

**Twenty three minutes later.**

The _Enterprise_ command chair was crap, Scotty decided. He was uncomfortable, bored, and desperate for something vaguely interesting to happen.

"Chekov," he said randomly, "scan the entire area for Klingons, and if you find any, set course, maximum warp, then when we get there blast 'em to hell."

Chekov looked at him as if he was insane, but initiated the scan to humour the mad Scotsman. What he found surprised him.

"Sair," he said, "another sheep is coming in."

"Another ship?" Scotty asked.

"It registers as the USS _Enterprise,_ sair," Chekov continued. "But… that…"

Scotty leant back.

"Bugger me," he said.

"Do we tell the Keptin, sair?" Chekov asked.

"Let it be a surprise," Scotty replied.

--

**USS_ Enterprise (_prime).**

Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and Dr McCoy were making their way to the transporter room.

"Why do I have to come?" McCoy asked.

"Because you're already there," Kirk replied. "It's good to meet yourself."

"I don't want to meet myself," McCoy said. "I have enough trouble with myself! If that makes any sense…"

"Perfect sense, Doctor," Spock said. "But do not worry. No doubt these alternate selves will be sufficiently different to us to prevent any discomfort on your part."

Kirk looked out a port at the other _Enterprise._ As Constantine had said, it was bigger, bolder, brasher and more heavily armed than his, while also being sleeker and silver. He didn't like it. This was his ship, and his crew, and he didn't like the thought that there might be exact duplicates. But then, like Spock said – they might be totally different.

Except Constantine would have said that.

When they reached the transporter room, Kirk could only snap out; ''energise.''

--

Constantine smiled when Jackson whispered that Kirk and his away team were here. He walked over to the alternate Kirk and co, who were talking with Johan, and tapped Kirk on the shoulder.

"Someone's coming who I think you should meet," he said. Kirk looked at him – and then the door to the bridge opened…

And James Kirk stepped out.

"James T. Kirk," Constantine smiled. "Meet James T. Kirk."


	3. Collision 3

Jim Kirk widened his eyes slightly at the view of his alternate self in the turbo-lift. This one was older (just slightly), more muscular, his hair was shorter and he wore a variant of the uniform Constantine and his men wore. But he was James T. Kirk, alright.

Behind him were Spock and McCoy. The Spock was his Spock, with a few more lines indicative of the man Spock was destined to become. And McCoy barely looked older at all.

Spock – _his_ Spock – was the first to speak, eyebrow dutifully raised.

"Fascinating."

The other Spock raised the same eyebrow.

"I was about to say that," he said. He raised a hand, and splayed his fingers in the traditional Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper."

"Peace and long life," Jim's Spock replied, hand raised in the same salute.

The two McCoy's walked up to each other and eyed each other distastefully.

"You like whiskey?" Jim's McCoy asked.

"Yep," the other McCoy replied.

Jim's McCoy nodded, and without a word, the two men headed for the turbo-lift. The new James T. Kirk turned to his McCoy.

"Bones – where are you _going_?" he asked.

"To get us a drink," Jim's McCoy replied before James's McCoy could answer. "Leave you two to talk."

Then the turbo-lift door closed and James was left with Jim. Constantine indicated his briefing room with his arm.

"Please," he said. The two Kirks looked at each other, then Jim shrugged and the two entered. The two Spock's were engaged in polite discussion of... whatever...

--

"It is logical to assume that your universe is significantly different to our own," Spock Prime said.

"Logical but incorrect," Spock replied. "I have studied your history and apart from a few minor differences, there appears to have been little alteration."

"Fascinating. I would appreciate the chance to study your history."

"That would be unwise," Spock cautioned. "Certain things are... possibly distressing for us, and also possibly damaging to your timeline."

Spock Prime – far younger than Spock remembered him, almost identical to him in every way save the lines of care that serving on the Enterprise had given him - raised an eyebrow.

"Then events in my timeline created yours?" he asked.

"I can say no more," Spock replied, and Spock Prime nodded.

--

"So," Jim Kirk began.

"So," James Kirk added.

The two sat in silence for a long time.

"How old are you?" James asked.

"Twenty six," the reply came immediately. James Kirk raised both his eyebrows in surprise.

"Young," he said.

"How old are you?" Jim asked.

"Thirty three," James replied.

"That's young too," Jim pointed out.

"Not as young as you," James said. "Must have been something special to make you the Captain of the Enterprise so quickly."

"It was," Jim smiled, "but Spock would kill me if I told you."

"Time travel stuff?" James guessed.

"Yep," Jim confirmed.

"Damn, that stuff gives me a headache," James said, grinning ruefully.

"Same," Jim added. "Look, me and my ship oughta be finding a way to get back..."

"I'll have Scotty look it over," James replied instantly.

"You've got Scotty?" Jim said, incredulous.

"Yup," James said. "Hard to keep him prized away from the engines..."

"Yeah," Jim smiled. "I'm expecting the engagement announcement any day now..."

--

The two McCoy's said nothing, didn't talk about the divorce, didn't talk about their lives or any discrepancies, because neither of them cared. They just grabbed their whiskeys, and drank.

--

Captain Constantine let them discuss what they wanted- it wasn't hurting anyone.

"Sir," Mitchum, Constantine's tactical officer said, turning in his chair and looking worried. "Reporting multiple high warp inbounds. Unknown configuration."

Constantine looked up at the screen.

"Alert the _Enterprises,_" he ordered, "and raise shields."

--

"Mr Scott," Sulu said on the _Enterprise_-Prime. "Multiple high warp inbound ships. Unknown configuration. The _Maverick_ had raised shields."

"Best follow suit," Scott said, from the command chair, leaning forward expectantly. He wasn't as experienced a commander as Kirk, and he hated being away from his engines, but he wasn't about to lose his head.

--

"Mr Scott," Sulu said from his tactical console on the _Enterprise_. "Multiple inbound ships at high warp, unknown configuration. The other _Enterprise_ and the _Maverick_ have raised shields."

Scott looked at Sulu blankly for a moment, then at the screen.

"Sir?" Sulu asked.

"Well," Scott said. "Uh... raise shields, Mr Sulu. And, uh... contact the Captain. Aye, that'll work."

"Are you alright sair?" Chekov asked.

"Tell you what, I'd best get down to engineering," Scott smiled, standing up. "I'm no good in command situations," he added, walking for the door quickly. "You've got the conn, Chekov," he concluded, before legging it for his engines.

Chekov exchanged a look with Sulu.

"Typical," Chekov said, before contacting Kirk.

--

"They'll be out of warp in six seconds, sir," Jackson reported. The two Kirks came up onto the bridge, just as the unknown ships came out of warp.

Circular central section. Two wing-like nacelles. Painted symbol of an eagle.

Romulan Birds-Of-Prey.

--

**Note; James T. Kirk Prime is referred to as James, and the alternate as Jim.**


	4. Collision 4

"Oh damn," Constantine said, looking at the Romulan vessels on his viewscreen with a professional – and slightly nervous – eye. "We're outnumbered and outgunned."

Jackson nodded grimly, as the Kirks, the Spocks and the McCoys gathered around the bridge. Constantine had slumped into his chair. Jackson was leaning on his railing.

There were six of them, Romulan vessels all, in battle formation.

"I reckon we could probably beat them, with a little luck," the alt universe Jim said.

"Your ship is more advanced," Spock Prime said.

"Captain," Alt Spock warned, "that could be problematic."

Jim looked at his Spock, with a frown on his face.

"How so?" he asked. Spock motioned him over, and spoke quietly.

"If these vessels, any of them, survive this encounter, they will bring back sensor data of our significantly more advanced weaponry, thus polluting the timeline," he explained. Jim's eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath.

"So we not only have to survive, we have to blow them all up?" he said.

"Yes, however," Alt Spock continued, "that would cause a war between the Federation and the Romulan Empire…"

"Oi," Jackson said, overhearing them. "They've invaded our space. This is a war – their war!"

"No such war occurred in the existent timeline," Spock said. "My conversations with… our source," he added, with a brief glance at the crew of the USS _Enterprise_ of this universe, "indicate that apart from a brief incident, there were no hostilities in our era."

"So we can't start a war, and we can't use our weapons," Kirk said.

"Succinctly put," Spock nodded. Jackson looked thoughtfully at them, then at the Romulan vessels.

--

"What d'you reckon they're talking about?" James Kirk asked his Spock.

"Presumably whether they can legitimately cause a war here," Spock said, looking mildly troubled. "I believe that they intend to preserve this timeline as much as possible."

"Why should they want to?" Kirk asked. "This is a separate timeline…"

"Events in our time," Spock cut him off, "caused – if my assumptions are correct – the creation of theirs."

"How is that possible?" Kirk asked.

"Many ways, but they may be trying to maintain the events that led up to it," Spock said.

"Huh," Kirk grunted. He had always hated temporal theory.

"In any case, using their more advanced weaponry may prove disastrous to the timeline," Spock said. "If the weapons on their _Enterprise_ are more advanced, then they cannot risk using them to destroy the Romulans – destroying those ships may lead to war."

"They've already caused a war," Kirk snapped. "And the timeline is mutable, isn't it?"

"Theoretically," Spock said, with a slightly uncomfortable frown.

"Right then," Kirk said, and he walked over to his counterpart, just as Jackson spoke to the original Spock.

"Is it just me," the big eared science officer said, "or do they look different to the ships the Romulans used last…?"

--

**The **_**Enterprise**_** Prime.**

"Those aren't the same ships," Sulu said with confidence. "It's a new design."

"I see what ya mean, lady," Scotty said, leaning forward to study the vessels before him.

"What?" Chekov asked.

"They're bigger," Sulu said. "The hull's green, and the eagle is silver not orange."

"So it's different?" Chekov asked.

"I think so, yes," Sulu said.

"Well, vhat does that mean?" Chekov asked. "They have different classes of starsheep, so do ve. Ve have the _Miranda_ and the _Constitution,_ and the _Kelvin_ and the _Daedalus_…"

"But…" Scotty said, taking a close look at the vessels before him, "those ships look a hell of a lot like the one we fought, 'cept that it's bigger and bolder…"

"Like that new _Enterprise _is to us," Sulu finished.

"Uhura," Scotty asked, "have they said anything?"

"No, Scotty," she said, looking worriedly at him. "They're just… sitting there…"

--

**The **_**Enterprise**_** Alternate.**

Sulu had taken command, (since Scotty had mixed up the ranking orders) and had ordered scans run – Chekov had discovered nothing about the ships that made him feel very happy – they were powerful, dangerous, and above all else, they were well armed and shielded.

"They look odd," Uhura commented.

"How so?" Chekov asked.

"Well," she said, pointing at the resident _Constitution_ class vessels, "they look sort of old fashioned and - well, kitsch. Those Romulan ships don't."

Sulu looked at Chekov, who nodded with both eyebrows raised.

"I think she might be onto something there," he said.

"But then that would mean," Sulu said.

"That they came from the same place we did," Uhura finished. "Yes. And that's what worries me."

**The **_**Maverick**_**.**

"We need your help to destroy them," James said to Jim. Jim blinked, then grinned at his Spock.

"I knew I'd like this guy," he said. "We can't, according to Spock."

"Mine says the same thing," James said. "But we can't let them come here and think they can. This is an act of war – and there is no way in hell they're going to get one up on us."

"Might I point out, Captain Kirk," Jackson said, leaning on a railing, "that we have not as yet been fired upon, and that we have not as yet detected any communications from those ships."

"Jackson, shut up," Constantine said from his command chair.

"He's right," one of the McCoy's said. "They haven't done anything."

"They're waiting for the chance to," Jim said. "Its Romulans, Spock," he added, looking at his Spock with a cocked eyebrow. To the Prime Spocks surprise, his counterpart actually looked momentarily upset, then calmed himself.

"Nero," he said simply, "was an aberration."

Spock Prime wondered just who Nero was, but was spared this by McCoy – his McCoy – waking over to him.

"What're they waitin' for?" he asked, softly.

"Unknown, Doctor," Spock said. "When we know, so will you."

"Huh," McCoy grunted, then he walked away, muttering something vaguely like 'green blooded son of a…'

"How long has it actually been since they got here?" Jackson asked.

"Twelve minutes," Spock Prime began.

"Thirty three seconds," the Alt Spock added.

"Captain!" Willems called, and Constantine and the two Kirks looked at him. "They're hailing!"

"On screen!" Constantine yelled. His head snapped around, and he looked at the screen, which appeared to black out for a moment... and then a face appeared; the face of a man long thought dead by the Alternate crew.

Although he had hair, long and white, and a long white beard, Nero was still very recognisable.

"Hello, Spock," he said, smiling. "And Spock. Good to see you. And you, James T. Kirk. My, how true the old saying is. _Plus ca change, plus ce la meme chose."_

The Kirks looked at the Romulan, Jim with disdain and anger, and perhaps confusion, James with resolved strength of will; the McCoy's were confused, and the Spock's only frowned, but Jackson supplied a translation to the quote.

"The more things change, the more things stay the same," he said.

"Indeed, thank you," Nero smiled. "And indeed, things are the same, between us, Captains. And Spocks. Prepare to die."

The screen blacked out, and then the Romulan vessels opened fire.


End file.
